Background Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli(E.coli)is a threat to humans and animals that causes intestinal dis-orders.Antimicrobial resistance has urged alternatives,including Lactobacillus postbiotics,to mitigate th...Background Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli(E.coli)is a threat to humans and animals that causes intestinal dis-orders.Antimicrobial resistance has urged alternatives,including Lactobacillus postbiotics,to mitigate the effects of enterotoxigenic E.coli.Methods Forty-eight newly weaned pigs were allotted to NC:no challenge/no supplement;PC:F18^(+)E.coli chal-lenge/no supplement;ATB:F18^(+)E.coli challenge/bacitracin;and LPB:F18^(+)E.coli challenge/postbiotics and fed diets for 28 d.On d 7,pigs were orally inoculated withF18^(+)E.coli.At d 28,the mucosa-associated microbiota,immune and oxidative stress status,intestinal morphology,the gene expression of pattern recognition receptors(PRR),and intestinal barrier function were measured.Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure in SAS 9.4.Results PC increased(P<0.05)Helicobacter mastomyrinus whereas reduced(P<0.05)Prevotella copri and P.ster-corea compared to NC.The LPB increased(P<0.05)P.stercorea and Dialister succinatiphilus compared with PC.The ATB increased(P<0.05)Propionibacterium acnes,Corynebacterium glutamicum,and Sphingomonas pseudosanguinis compared to PC.The PC tended to reduce(P=0.054)PGLYRP4 and increased(P<0.05)TLR4,CD14,MDA,and crypt cell proliferation compared with NC.The ATB reduced(P<0.05)NOD1 compared with PC.The LPB increased(P<0.05)PGLYRP4,and interferon-γand reduced(P<0.05)NOD1 compared with PC.The ATB and LPB reduced(P<0.05)TNF-αand MDA compared with PC.Conclusions TheF18^(+)E.coli challenge compromised intestinal health.Bacitracin increased beneficial bacteria show-ing a trend towards increasing the intestinal barrier function,possibly by reducing the expression of PRR genes.Lac-tobacillus postbiotics enhanced the immunocompetence of nursery pigs by increasing the expression of interferon-γand PGLYRP4,and by reducing TLR4,NOD1,and CD14.展开更多
[Objective] The purification and immunocompetence of GPS protein in porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) were analyzed in this study, which provided basis for establishing the corresponding serological...[Objective] The purification and immunocompetence of GPS protein in porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) were analyzed in this study, which provided basis for establishing the corresponding serological method. [Method] The recombinant expression plasmid pGEX-6P-5 was transformed into BL21 and expressed after being induced with IPTG. The solubility analysis of expression products was carried out, and then the recombinant protein was purified for SDS-PAGE identification and Western-blot analysis. Finally, the recombinant antigen was used in the immune experiment of guinea pigs. [Result] The target protein content accounted for 30% of the total cells protein content according to the chromatography scanning, and the purity of target protein after purification reached 80%. The purified protein was analyzed by Western-blot and immune experiment of guinea pigs, and the results showed that the expressed protein had good reactionogenicity and immunogenicity. [Conclusion] This study provides materials for further studies on the function between PRRSV ORF5 gene and its editing protein, which also lays a foundation for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus genetic engineering products.展开更多
Utilizing collagen of sheep bone as material to get immunocompetent peptide, enzymatic hydrolysis conditions were optimized using quadratic regression general rotation design. The effect of temperature （T）, time （t...Utilizing collagen of sheep bone as material to get immunocompetent peptide, enzymatic hydrolysis conditions were optimized using quadratic regression general rotation design. The effect of temperature （T）, time （t）, enzyme/substrate （E/S） ratio, and substrate concentration （S） on the amount of tricarboxylix acid cycle （TCA） soluble peptides were investigated. The content of soluble peptide in the acquisition was measured by Folin-hydrozybebzebe method, and the correlation between soluble peptide content and immunocompetence was analyzed by SAS software. The best enzymatic hydrolysis condition was gotten from Design Expert 7.1.2 software. The optimal condition under which immunocompetent peptides could be prepared was 1 576 U g^-1 （E/S）, 64.05℃ （T）, 0.271 kg L^-1 （S）, and 7.22 h （t）. The correlation coefficient between TCA soluble peptides and the immuneocompetence was 0.045 〈r0.05 = 0.355, which indicated that they had no significant correlation. The result showed that the soluble peptide contained immunocompetent peptides which content was independent of immunocompetence in the hydrolasates.展开更多
To clone the gene coding the immunodominant region in the chlamydial protease-like activity factor （CPAF） from Chlaroydophila pneumoniae, to analyze immunoeoropetenee of the expressed protein, and to evaluate its va...To clone the gene coding the immunodominant region in the chlamydial protease-like activity factor （CPAF） from Chlaroydophila pneumoniae, to analyze immunoeoropetenee of the expressed protein, and to evaluate its value in serodiagnosis, the CPAF immunodominant region gene was amplified, ligated into a pGEX6p-2 vector, and then the expressed recombinant protein was purified with glutathione Stransferase （GST） agarose gel FF after renaturation, then identified by SDS-PAGE and Western blot. A new indirect ELISA was developed with the purified protein as coating antigen. The immunogenicity of the recombinant protein was evaluated by immunization to New Zealand rabbits, and its immunoreactivity was analyzed by reacting with anti-C, pneumoniae antibody. 300 clinical sera samples were respectively detected by mieroimmunofluorescenee （MIF） as reference method and the indirect ELISA, and the difference between the two methods was analyzed. Cross-reactivity against Chlamydia trachomatis was investigated with the indirect ELISA to detect anti-C, trachomatis positive antisera. The results indicated that a 51.3 kDa recombinant protein was obtained. Western blot assay proved that the recombinant protein could merely specifically react with human anti- C. pneurnoniae antisera. The titers of the specific IgG antibodies in the immunized New Zealand rabbits were above 1 ： 16 000. Anti- C. pneumoniae IgG positive and negative reference sera were detected with the indirect ELISA, and the concordance rate of negative and positive results were both 100% （40/40）. The sensitivity and specificity of the indirect ELISA in comparison with MIF were 93.8% （45/48） and 100% （252/252） separately by detecting 300 clinical sera samples, and the concordance rate between the two methods was 99.0%. No cross reaction against C. trachomatis was found with the indirect ELISA to detect anti-C, trachomatis positive antisera. In conclusion, the prepared recombinant protein of the CPAF immunodominant region shows excellent immunocompetence and can be used to develop a new indirect ELISA as a method to detect anti-C, pneumoniae antibody for diagnosis of C. pneumoniae infection.展开更多
Developmental instability(DI)is a phenomenon whereby organisms are unable to buffer developmental disturbances,resulting in asymmetricvariation of paired traits.Previous research has demonstrated a negative relationsh...Developmental instability(DI)is a phenomenon whereby organisms are unable to buffer developmental disturbances,resulting in asymmetricvariation of paired traits.Previous research has demonstrated a negative relationship between DI,measured as forearm asymmetry,and survivalin the bat Carollia perspicillata.This study aims to test the hypothesis that individuals with higher DI exhibit a lower immune response.We measured a delayed-type hypersensitivity to the antigen phytohemagglutinin(PHA)on 74 males and 65 females of C.perspicillata before and after thebreeding season(BS).Linear models were used to predict the immunological response based on body mass(BM),forearm asymmetry,sex,BS,and testicle length.The best-ftting model accounted for 29% of the variation in immune response and included asymmetry,BM,sex,and BS aspredictors.The immune response was negatively associated with asymmetry and testicle length in males but positively related to asymmetryin females.Both sexes showed a reduced immune response in the late BS.Additionally,the association between immune response and BMchanged direction seasonally,with heavier individuals showing weaker responses early in the BS and stronger responses later.Individual variation in male immunity was predicted by individual attributes,whereas variation in immune response in females was mostly seasonal.Our resultssupport the link between DI,survival,and immune response in short-tailed bats,and suggest that the immunological component measured bythe PHA response may be under fner selection in males due to its stronger correlation with individual traits.展开更多
BACKGROUND Histoplasmosis is a rare infectious condition with mainly pulmonary involvement which is generally self-limiting in immunocompetent individuals.Its manifestation varies and lacks specificity.This study repo...BACKGROUND Histoplasmosis is a rare infectious condition with mainly pulmonary involvement which is generally self-limiting in immunocompetent individuals.Its manifestation varies and lacks specificity.This study reports a case of primary disseminated liver histoplasmosis in a normal host presenting as liver failure cured by liver transplantation and voriconazole.CASE SUMMARY A 43-year-old Chinese man with intermittent fever,malaise,jaundice and extreme hepatomegaly for more than 40 days was admitted to the Second Xiang-ya Hospital.The patient was immunocompetent and lacked a definitive history of exposure.His condition deteriorated to liver failure,and he promptly underwent liver transplantation to ensure survival.One year later,the patient presented with severe gastrointestinal symptoms,including fever,abdominal pain,and diarrhea.Subsequently,tissue samples acquired via gastrointestinal endoscopy were subjected to pathological examination and next-generation sequencing analysis.Through a comprehensive amalgamation of clinical presentation,biopsy pathology,and next-generation sequencing analysis,the patient was ultimately diagnosed with disseminated hepatic histoplasmosis.The patient achieved complete recovery after 6 months of voriconazole treatment.CONCLUSION In patients with chronic-hepatitis-B having atypical symptoms,histoplasmosis can be a differential diagnosis.Voriconazole is effective in treating histoplasmosis.展开更多
Brain organoids encompass a large collection of in vitro stem cell–derived 3D culture systems that aim to recapitulate multiple aspects of in vivo brain development and function.First,this review provides a brief int...Brain organoids encompass a large collection of in vitro stem cell–derived 3D culture systems that aim to recapitulate multiple aspects of in vivo brain development and function.First,this review provides a brief introduction to the current state-of-the-art for neuroectoderm brain organoid development,emphasizing their biggest advantages in comparison with classical two-dimensional cell cultures and animal models.However,despite their usefulness for developmental studies,a major limitation for most brain organoid models is the absence of contributing cell types from endodermal and mesodermal origin.As such,current research is highly investing towards the incorporation of a functional vasculature and the microglial immune component.In this review,we will specifically focus on the development of immune-competent brain organoids.By summarizing the different approaches applied to incorporate microglia,it is highlighted that immune-competent brain organoids are not only important for studying neuronal network formation,but also offer a clear future as a new tool to study inflammatory responses in vitro in 3D in a brainlike environment.Therefore,our main focus here is to provide a comprehensive overview of assays to measure microglial phenotype and function within brain organoids,with an outlook on how these findings could better understand neuronal network development or restoration,as well as the influence of physical stress on microglia-containing brain organoids.Finally,we would like to stress that even though the development of immune-competent brain organoids has largely evolved over the past decade,their full potential as a pre-clinical tool to study novel therapeutic approaches to halt or reduce inflammation-mediated neurodegeneration still needs to be explored and validated.展开更多
We examined the case report written by Ke et al,describing a rare clinical case.In this editorial,we would like to emphasize the differential diagnosis of rectal masses through a rare case.We describe a case of amebom...We examined the case report written by Ke et al,describing a rare clinical case.In this editorial,we would like to emphasize the differential diagnosis of rectal masses through a rare case.We describe a case of ameboma,which manifested itself as a mass in the rectum in terms of imaging and rectoscopic features,in an immunocompetent patient who had complaints of constipation and rectal bleeding for weeks.The initial diagnosis suggested malignancy due to imaging and rectoscopic features,but the pathology report reported it as amoebiasis.After ten days of metronidazole and oral amebicide(diloxanide furoate)treatment,the patient’s symptoms and radiological findings were successfully regressed.展开更多
Human herpesvirus 6(HHV-6)is a common childhood infection but rarely causes severe complications.In immunocompetent children,conditions such as febrile convulsions and roseola infantum are typical,with occasional seve...Human herpesvirus 6(HHV-6)is a common childhood infection but rarely causes severe complications.In immunocompetent children,conditions such as febrile convulsions and roseola infantum are typical,with occasional severe manifestations like meningoencephalitis and myocarditis.展开更多
Habitat alterations in agroecosystems may damage amphibian immune capacity. As agroecosystem extension is increasing worldwide, broader-context knowledge on the effects of agroecosystem stressful conditions on amphibi...Habitat alterations in agroecosystems may damage amphibian immune capacity. As agroecosystem extension is increasing worldwide, broader-context knowledge on the effects of agroecosystem stressful conditions on amphibian immune capacity is crucial for understanding and management of amphibian global declines. However, most studies on ecoimmunology assume synchronal amonggroup immune-response peaks, and focus on immune response after standardized time lapses, neglecting its progress!on. Herein, I compared inflamatory response short-term progression of agro ecosystem and n atural-habitat female and male n atterjack toads Epi da lea calamita, by measuri ng swelling response, once per hour, 6 h following an artificial immune challenge with innocuous antigen phytohemagglutinin. I also compared maximum magnitude of swelling response, irrespective of the moment when it was reached. Habitat differences arose only 3 h after challenge, when naturalhabitat toads showed greater swelling response. Maximum magnitude of swelling response was similar in toads from both habitats. However, agroecosystem toads showed a delayed swelling response as compared with natural-habitat conspecifics, probably as a consequenee of agroecosystem stressful conditions. Such a delay suggests a weaker immune capacity, and consequently impaired anti-pathogen performance. Regarding sex, swelling response magnitude did not differ between males and females. Female swelling response peaked earlier, but that of males was more sustai ned in time, which con tradicts general across-taxa fin dings that males show impaired immune response. Interestingly, results suggest that measuring swelling response only after some standardized period following stimulation may be a simplistic approach and produce unrealistic results. Consequently, studies on ecoimmunology should implement swelling response progression in order to produce unbiased science.展开更多
Aim To study the distribution pattern, antineoplastic activity and immunocompetence of a novel organoselenium compound Eb and investigate its in vivo antineoplastic potential. Methods Eb was administered to Kunming ...Aim To study the distribution pattern, antineoplastic activity and immunocompetence of a novel organoselenium compound Eb and investigate its in vivo antineoplastic potential. Methods Eb was administered to Kunming mice (dosage, 0.1 g·kg^(-1)·d^(-1)) intragastrically for 7 successive days. The contents of selenium in heart, liver, spleen, kidneys, lungs, stomach, brain, muscle, and bone were determined by fluorometric method on the eighth day. MTT assay was used to study tumor growth inhibition of Eb in vitro, and lymphocyte transformation, hemolysin formation and phagocytosis assay were used to study its immunocompetence. Results After 7 days′ administration of Eb, the tissue contents of sele-(nium) in liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, and bone of mice increased, especially those in liver and spleen increased significan-tly, compared with controls; but no significant changes of such contents were found in muscle, heart, brain, and stomach. Eb demonstrated inhibitory effects on human Bel-7402, BGC-823, and Calu-3 cancer cell lines in vitro. Eb also showed ability to enhance lymphocyte transformation and serum hemolysin formation in vitro and increase the phagocytosis of macrophages. Conclusion The validated antitumor and immunostimulatory activities of Eb suggest a hypothesis that Eb may behave as a biological response modifier when used as an antitumor agent. Eb is worthy of further study in developing a new antineoplastic and immunity enhancing agent in the light of its antitumor activity, immunocompetence and specific distribution in liver, lungs, kidneys, bone, and spleen.展开更多
AIM: To determine whether normal genetically immunocompetent rodent hosts could be manipulated to accept human hepatocyte transplants with long term survival without immunosuppression. METHODS: Tolerance towards human...AIM: To determine whether normal genetically immunocompetent rodent hosts could be manipulated to accept human hepatocyte transplants with long term survival without immunosuppression. METHODS: Tolerance towards human hepatocytes was established by injection of primary human hepatocytes or Huh7 human hepatoma cells into the peritoneal cavities of fetal rats. Corresponding cells were subsequently transplanted into newborn rats via intrasplenic injection within 24h after birth. RESULTS: Mixed lymphocyte assays showed that spleen cells from non-tolerized rats were stimulated to proliferate when exposed to human hepatocytes, while cells from tolerized rats were not. Injections made between 15 d and 17 d of gestation produced optimal tolerization. Transplanted human hepatocytes in rat livers were visualized by immunohistochemical staining of human albumin. By dot blotting of genomic DNA in livers of tolerized rats 16 weeks after hepatocyte transplantation, it was found that approximately 2.5 X 10(5) human hepatocytes survived per rat liver. Human albumin mRNA was detected in rat livers by RT-PCR for 15 wk, and human albumin protein was also detectable in rat serum. CONCLUSION: Tolerization of an immuno-competent rat can permit transplantation, and survival of functional human hepatocytes.展开更多
Municipal wastewaters are major sources of pollution for the aquatic biota. The purpose of this study was to determine the levels of some pharmaceutical products and the immunotoxic potential of a municipal wastewater...Municipal wastewaters are major sources of pollution for the aquatic biota. The purpose of this study was to determine the levels of some pharmaceutical products and the immunotoxic potential of a municipal wastewater aeration lagoon for the treatment of the domestic wastewaters of a small town with wastewater inputs from a 400-bed hospital complex. Endemic mussels were collected, caged and placed in the final aeration lagoon and at sites 1 km upstream and 1 km downstream of the effluent outfall in the receiving river for a period of 14 days. The results showed that the final aeration lagoon contained high levels of total coliforms, conductivity and low dissolved oxygen （2.9 mg/L） as well as detectable amounts of trimethoprim, carbamazepine, gemfibrozil, and norfloxacin at concentrations exceeding 50 ng/L. The lagoon effluent was indeed toxic to the mussel specimens, as evidenced by the appearance of mortality after 14 days （10% mortality）, decreased mussel weight-to-shell-length ratio and loss of hemocyte viability. The number of adhering hemocytes, phagocytic activity, total nitrite levels and arachidonic cyclooxygenase activity were significantly higher in mussels placed in the final aeration lagoon. A multivariate analysis also revealed that water pH, conductivity, total coliforms and dissolved oxygen were the endpoints most closely linked with phagocytic activity, the amount of adhering hemocytes and loss of hemocyte viability. In conclusion, exposure of mussels to treated aerated lagoon wastewater is deleterious to freshwater mussels where the immune system is compromised.展开更多
In order to investigate the immunoactivity of Lycium Barbarum glycopeptide (LBG), the routinely prepared murine splenic lymphocyte suspension was separately added into the samples with different concentrations (500, 1...In order to investigate the immunoactivity of Lycium Barbarum glycopeptide (LBG), the routinely prepared murine splenic lymphocyte suspension was separately added into the samples with different concentrations (500, 100, 10, 1 μg/ml) of LBG as LBG groups. Blank control group in the absence of Lycium Barbarum glycopeptide or ConA and positive control group in the presence of 0.5 ml ConA but in the absence of LBG were created. 0.5 ml LBG samples with different concentrations in combination with 0.5 ml ConA (10 μg/ml) into each well to observe the synergic effects of LBG and ConA as LBG+ConA groups. After incubation for 72 h at 37 ℃, the samples were analyzed by CFSE-labeled cells combined with flow cytometry, and MTT. Flow cytometry revealed that both LBG could enhance the murine splenic lymphocyte proliferative reaction. Combined use of LBG and ConA had synergic effects. MTT demonstrated that sample A could obviously promote the murine splenic lymphocyte proliferative reaction as compared with control group (P<0.01), while sample B could also enhance the lymphocyte proliferation at a high dose. In combination with ConA, sample A had synergic effects at high dose, while sample B showed obviously synergic effects (P<0.05). It was concluded that both samples (A and B) had strong immunocompetence.展开更多
Information regarding immunocompetence of the adaptive immune system （AIS） in zebrafish Danio rerio remains limited. Here, we stimulated an immune response in fish embryos, larvae and adults using lipopolysaccharide...Information regarding immunocompetence of the adaptive immune system （AIS） in zebrafish Danio rerio remains limited. Here, we stimulated an immune response in fish embryos, larvae and adults using lipopolysaccharide （LPS） and measured the upregulation of a number of AIS-related genes （Rag2, AID, TCRAC, IgLC-1, mIg, slg, IgZ and DAB） 3 and 18 h later. We found that all of the genes evaluated were strongly induced following LPS stimulation, with most of them responding at 8 d post fertilization. This confirms that a functional adaptive immune response is present in D. rerio larvae, and provides a window for further functional analyses.展开更多
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of Fuzhengpaidu granule (FZPDG) on immune activation molecules CD38 and human leukocyte antigen-D related (HLA-DR) on CD4+ and CD8+ cells in HIV/AIDS patients, and to explore the unde...OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of Fuzhengpaidu granule (FZPDG) on immune activation molecules CD38 and human leukocyte antigen-D related (HLA-DR) on CD4+ and CD8+ cells in HIV/AIDS patients, and to explore the underlying mechanism of this therapy. METHODS: Plasma changes in CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD3+CD4+CD38+, CD3+CD4+HLA-DR+, CD3+ CD8+CD38+, and CD3+CD8+HLA-DR+levels in HIV/ AIDS patients treated with FZPDG for six months were examined by flow cytometry and compared with levels in healthy controls. RESULTS: The clinical trial included 34 outpatients with HIV/AIDS. Before treatment, plasma levels of CD38+ and HLA-DR+ on CD4/CD8 cells were higherthan those in 28 health controls (P<0.05). There were no significant changes in serum levels of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells between pretreatment baseline versus after treatment, which were 82.85% ± 5.41% , 14.57% ± 10.31% and 54.55% ± 11.43% before treatment and 79.15% ± 8.21% , 19.96% ± 9.58% and 56.36% ± 11.67% after treatment, respectively (P>0.05). Plasma levels of CD3+ CD4+CD38+and CD3+CD4+HLA-DR+were 2.3%± 2.2% and 7.8%±5.5% before treatment and 1.2%± 0.8% and 2.6%±1.0% after treatment, respectively. Plasma levels of CD3+CD8+CD38+ and CD3+CD8+ HLA-DR+ were 41.4%±13.4% and 17.8%±11.3% beforetreatment,whichchangedto27.1%±10.2%and 3.8%±2.4%aftertreatment,respectively(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: HIV/AIDS patients exhibited an immune activation profile following FZPDG treatment. A potential mechanism of action for FZPDG appears to lie in its ability to up-regulate CD38 and HLA-DR levels on CD4+ T cells, and down-regulate them on CD8+ cells, thereby modulating immune activation of CD4+and CD8+T cells.展开更多
The effect that climatic changes can exert on parasitic interactions represents a multifactor problem whose results are difficult to predict. The actual impact of changes will depend on their magnitude and the physiol...The effect that climatic changes can exert on parasitic interactions represents a multifactor problem whose results are difficult to predict. The actual impact of changes will depend on their magnitude and the physiological tolerance of affected organisms. When the change is considered extreme （i.e. unusual weather events that are at the extremes of the historical distribution for a given area）, the probability of an alteration in an organisms＇ homeostasis increases dramatically. However, factors determining the altered dynamics of host-parasite interactions due to an extreme change are the same as those acting in response to changes of lower magnitude. Only a deep knowledge of these factors will help to produce more accurate predictive models for the effects of extreme changes on parasitic interactions. Extreme environmental conditions may affect pathogens directly when they include free-living stages in their life-cycles and indirectly through reduced resource availability for hosts and thus reduced ability to produce efficient anti-parasite defenses, or by effects on host density affecting transmission dynamics of diseases or the frequency of intraspecific contact. What are the consequences for host-parasite interactions？ Here we summarize the present knowledge on three principal factors in determining host-parasite associations; biodiversity, population density and immunocompetence In addition, we analyzed examples of the effects of environmental alteration of anthropogenic origin on parasitic systems because the effects are analogous to that exerted by an extreme climatic change [Current Zoology 57 （3）： 390405, 2011].展开更多
The purpose of this study was to examine the cumulative effects of exposure to a pathogenic bacteria and municipal effluent in the freshwater mussel Elliptio complanata. Mussels were exposed to increasing concentratio...The purpose of this study was to examine the cumulative effects of exposure to a pathogenic bacteria and municipal effluent in the freshwater mussel Elliptio complanata. Mussels were exposed to increasing concentrations of an ozone-treated effluent at 15°C for 7 days. A sub-group of mussels was inoculated with Vibrio anguillarum and exposed to the same conditions as above.After the exposure period, mussels were collected to assess hemocyte count and viability,immunocompetence（phagocytosis and nitrite production）, oxidative stress/inflammation（cyclooxygenase and lipid peroxidation） and oxygen radical/xenobiotic scavenging activity（metallothioniens, glutathione S-transferase）. The results showed that mussels exposed to municipal effluent had increased hemocyte counts, phagocytosis, nitrites, lipid peroxidation and metallothioneins. In the inoculated mussels, the same responses were observed, in addition to cyclooxygenase and glutathione S-transferase activities. Multivariate analyses revealed that（1）the response pattern changed with effluent concentration, where increased responses observed at low effluent concentrations（〉10%, V/V） were attenuated at higher effluent concentrations,（2）the effluent produced more pronounced changes in lipid peroxidation, metallothionein and hemocyte viability, and（3） the simultaneous presence of V. anguillarum led to more important changes in hemocyte count and viability and nitrite levels. In conclusion, the presence of V.anguillarum could alter the response of mussels to municipal effluent, which could lead to increased inflammation in mussels.展开更多
Androgen-dependent male sexual traits （STs） as well as immunocompetence are theoreticallyassumed to be key indicators of a male＇s quality for the mate-choosing female. We studied matechoice by sexually motivated ...Androgen-dependent male sexual traits （STs） as well as immunocompetence are theoreticallyassumed to be key indicators of a male＇s quality for the mate-choosing female. We studied matechoice by sexually motivated （SM） females of Campbell＇s dwarf hamsters. Females chose between2 tethered male siblings that differed in expression of STs. Males were unrelated to the female andable to contact and copulate with her. In both males, we measured sex-related morphology ofbody mass, mid-ventral specific skin gland, ano-genital distance, and external testicular diameter.We also estimated levels of blood testosterone and cortisol, specific T- and B-cell immune re-sponses to antigens, as well as aggressive and sexual dominance in sibling males through add-itional encounter experiments with another SM female （male sibs could freely compete for thefemale）. We found that SM females chose a partner among 2 male sibs and spent over 80% of theirtime on average with the preferred male compared with the non-preferred one. Her choice was notassociated with the first visit of the chosen male, with a higher expression of sex-related traits,higher levels of blood testosterone, or with aggressive dominance. The choice was not associatedwith the intensity of T-cell immune response to phitohemagglutinin （PHA）. Instead there was a ten-dency for a negative relationship with the expression of STs and B-cell response to the antigenchallenge. The only character that unambiguously influenced female choice was the non-aggressive male to female grooming during sexual contact. There was no difference in breedingsuccess between preferred and non-preferred males paired with virgin females.展开更多
Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis(MAP),originally called Johne’s bacillus was firstdescribed from Germany in 1895 as the cause of achronic inflammatory disease of the intestine in acow.As the 20th centu...Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis(MAP),originally called Johne’s bacillus was firstdescribed from Germany in 1895 as the cause of achronic inflammatory disease of the intestine in acow.As the 20th century progressed,clinical andsub-clinical MAP infection in farm animals inWestern Europe appeared to become moreprevalent.Among the early reviews available展开更多
文摘Background Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli(E.coli)is a threat to humans and animals that causes intestinal dis-orders.Antimicrobial resistance has urged alternatives,including Lactobacillus postbiotics,to mitigate the effects of enterotoxigenic E.coli.Methods Forty-eight newly weaned pigs were allotted to NC:no challenge/no supplement;PC:F18^(+)E.coli chal-lenge/no supplement;ATB:F18^(+)E.coli challenge/bacitracin;and LPB:F18^(+)E.coli challenge/postbiotics and fed diets for 28 d.On d 7,pigs were orally inoculated withF18^(+)E.coli.At d 28,the mucosa-associated microbiota,immune and oxidative stress status,intestinal morphology,the gene expression of pattern recognition receptors(PRR),and intestinal barrier function were measured.Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure in SAS 9.4.Results PC increased(P<0.05)Helicobacter mastomyrinus whereas reduced(P<0.05)Prevotella copri and P.ster-corea compared to NC.The LPB increased(P<0.05)P.stercorea and Dialister succinatiphilus compared with PC.The ATB increased(P<0.05)Propionibacterium acnes,Corynebacterium glutamicum,and Sphingomonas pseudosanguinis compared to PC.The PC tended to reduce(P=0.054)PGLYRP4 and increased(P<0.05)TLR4,CD14,MDA,and crypt cell proliferation compared with NC.The ATB reduced(P<0.05)NOD1 compared with PC.The LPB increased(P<0.05)PGLYRP4,and interferon-γand reduced(P<0.05)NOD1 compared with PC.The ATB and LPB reduced(P<0.05)TNF-αand MDA compared with PC.Conclusions TheF18^(+)E.coli challenge compromised intestinal health.Bacitracin increased beneficial bacteria show-ing a trend towards increasing the intestinal barrier function,possibly by reducing the expression of PRR genes.Lac-tobacillus postbiotics enhanced the immunocompetence of nursery pigs by increasing the expression of interferon-γand PGLYRP4,and by reducing TLR4,NOD1,and CD14.
基金Supported by National High-tech Research and Development Plan (863 Project) in the Eleventh Five-Year Plan Period (2006AA10A207)~~
文摘[Objective] The purification and immunocompetence of GPS protein in porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) were analyzed in this study, which provided basis for establishing the corresponding serological method. [Method] The recombinant expression plasmid pGEX-6P-5 was transformed into BL21 and expressed after being induced with IPTG. The solubility analysis of expression products was carried out, and then the recombinant protein was purified for SDS-PAGE identification and Western-blot analysis. Finally, the recombinant antigen was used in the immune experiment of guinea pigs. [Result] The target protein content accounted for 30% of the total cells protein content according to the chromatography scanning, and the purity of target protein after purification reached 80%. The purified protein was analyzed by Western-blot and immune experiment of guinea pigs, and the results showed that the expressed protein had good reactionogenicity and immunogenicity. [Conclusion] This study provides materials for further studies on the function between PRRSV ORF5 gene and its editing protein, which also lays a foundation for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus genetic engineering products.
基金founded by the Scientific and Technological Project of Tianjin,China (05ZHGCN00100)
文摘Utilizing collagen of sheep bone as material to get immunocompetent peptide, enzymatic hydrolysis conditions were optimized using quadratic regression general rotation design. The effect of temperature （T）, time （t）, enzyme/substrate （E/S） ratio, and substrate concentration （S） on the amount of tricarboxylix acid cycle （TCA） soluble peptides were investigated. The content of soluble peptide in the acquisition was measured by Folin-hydrozybebzebe method, and the correlation between soluble peptide content and immunocompetence was analyzed by SAS software. The best enzymatic hydrolysis condition was gotten from Design Expert 7.1.2 software. The optimal condition under which immunocompetent peptides could be prepared was 1 576 U g^-1 （E/S）, 64.05℃ （T）, 0.271 kg L^-1 （S）, and 7.22 h （t）. The correlation coefficient between TCA soluble peptides and the immuneocompetence was 0.045 〈r0.05 = 0.355, which indicated that they had no significant correlation. The result showed that the soluble peptide contained immunocompetent peptides which content was independent of immunocompetence in the hydrolasates.
文摘To clone the gene coding the immunodominant region in the chlamydial protease-like activity factor （CPAF） from Chlaroydophila pneumoniae, to analyze immunoeoropetenee of the expressed protein, and to evaluate its value in serodiagnosis, the CPAF immunodominant region gene was amplified, ligated into a pGEX6p-2 vector, and then the expressed recombinant protein was purified with glutathione Stransferase （GST） agarose gel FF after renaturation, then identified by SDS-PAGE and Western blot. A new indirect ELISA was developed with the purified protein as coating antigen. The immunogenicity of the recombinant protein was evaluated by immunization to New Zealand rabbits, and its immunoreactivity was analyzed by reacting with anti-C, pneumoniae antibody. 300 clinical sera samples were respectively detected by mieroimmunofluorescenee （MIF） as reference method and the indirect ELISA, and the difference between the two methods was analyzed. Cross-reactivity against Chlamydia trachomatis was investigated with the indirect ELISA to detect anti-C, trachomatis positive antisera. The results indicated that a 51.3 kDa recombinant protein was obtained. Western blot assay proved that the recombinant protein could merely specifically react with human anti- C. pneurnoniae antisera. The titers of the specific IgG antibodies in the immunized New Zealand rabbits were above 1 ： 16 000. Anti- C. pneumoniae IgG positive and negative reference sera were detected with the indirect ELISA, and the concordance rate of negative and positive results were both 100% （40/40）. The sensitivity and specificity of the indirect ELISA in comparison with MIF were 93.8% （45/48） and 100% （252/252） separately by detecting 300 clinical sera samples, and the concordance rate between the two methods was 99.0%. No cross reaction against C. trachomatis was found with the indirect ELISA to detect anti-C, trachomatis positive antisera. In conclusion, the prepared recombinant protein of the CPAF immunodominant region shows excellent immunocompetence and can be used to develop a new indirect ELISA as a method to detect anti-C, pneumoniae antibody for diagnosis of C. pneumoniae infection.
基金supported by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifco e Tecnologico(CNPq),Fundacaode Amparoa Pesquisa do Rio de Janeiro(FAPERJ),Fundacaode Amparoa Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo(FAPESPGrant nº2014/16/320-7)Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamentode Pessoal de Nível Superior(CAPES)-Finance Code 001+1 种基金by grants to LGHM and APCN from the Visiting Research Program of the FAPESP(nº2017-17607-6)supported by the PASPA-DGAPA program of the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico(nº814-2018).
文摘Developmental instability(DI)is a phenomenon whereby organisms are unable to buffer developmental disturbances,resulting in asymmetricvariation of paired traits.Previous research has demonstrated a negative relationship between DI,measured as forearm asymmetry,and survivalin the bat Carollia perspicillata.This study aims to test the hypothesis that individuals with higher DI exhibit a lower immune response.We measured a delayed-type hypersensitivity to the antigen phytohemagglutinin(PHA)on 74 males and 65 females of C.perspicillata before and after thebreeding season(BS).Linear models were used to predict the immunological response based on body mass(BM),forearm asymmetry,sex,BS,and testicle length.The best-ftting model accounted for 29% of the variation in immune response and included asymmetry,BM,sex,and BS aspredictors.The immune response was negatively associated with asymmetry and testicle length in males but positively related to asymmetryin females.Both sexes showed a reduced immune response in the late BS.Additionally,the association between immune response and BMchanged direction seasonally,with heavier individuals showing weaker responses early in the BS and stronger responses later.Individual variation in male immunity was predicted by individual attributes,whereas variation in immune response in females was mostly seasonal.Our resultssupport the link between DI,survival,and immune response in short-tailed bats,and suggest that the immunological component measured bythe PHA response may be under fner selection in males due to its stronger correlation with individual traits.
文摘BACKGROUND Histoplasmosis is a rare infectious condition with mainly pulmonary involvement which is generally self-limiting in immunocompetent individuals.Its manifestation varies and lacks specificity.This study reports a case of primary disseminated liver histoplasmosis in a normal host presenting as liver failure cured by liver transplantation and voriconazole.CASE SUMMARY A 43-year-old Chinese man with intermittent fever,malaise,jaundice and extreme hepatomegaly for more than 40 days was admitted to the Second Xiang-ya Hospital.The patient was immunocompetent and lacked a definitive history of exposure.His condition deteriorated to liver failure,and he promptly underwent liver transplantation to ensure survival.One year later,the patient presented with severe gastrointestinal symptoms,including fever,abdominal pain,and diarrhea.Subsequently,tissue samples acquired via gastrointestinal endoscopy were subjected to pathological examination and next-generation sequencing analysis.Through a comprehensive amalgamation of clinical presentation,biopsy pathology,and next-generation sequencing analysis,the patient was ultimately diagnosed with disseminated hepatic histoplasmosis.The patient achieved complete recovery after 6 months of voriconazole treatment.CONCLUSION In patients with chronic-hepatitis-B having atypical symptoms,histoplasmosis can be a differential diagnosis.Voriconazole is effective in treating histoplasmosis.
基金funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skodowska-Curie grant agreement No.813263(PMSMat Train,granted to UF,PP,MV,and DP)provided by the Fund for Scientific Research Flanders(FWO-Vlaanderen)of the Flemish Government(FWO sabbatical bench fee K800224N granted to PP)and ERA-NET Re Park(granted to PP)。
文摘Brain organoids encompass a large collection of in vitro stem cell–derived 3D culture systems that aim to recapitulate multiple aspects of in vivo brain development and function.First,this review provides a brief introduction to the current state-of-the-art for neuroectoderm brain organoid development,emphasizing their biggest advantages in comparison with classical two-dimensional cell cultures and animal models.However,despite their usefulness for developmental studies,a major limitation for most brain organoid models is the absence of contributing cell types from endodermal and mesodermal origin.As such,current research is highly investing towards the incorporation of a functional vasculature and the microglial immune component.In this review,we will specifically focus on the development of immune-competent brain organoids.By summarizing the different approaches applied to incorporate microglia,it is highlighted that immune-competent brain organoids are not only important for studying neuronal network formation,but also offer a clear future as a new tool to study inflammatory responses in vitro in 3D in a brainlike environment.Therefore,our main focus here is to provide a comprehensive overview of assays to measure microglial phenotype and function within brain organoids,with an outlook on how these findings could better understand neuronal network development or restoration,as well as the influence of physical stress on microglia-containing brain organoids.Finally,we would like to stress that even though the development of immune-competent brain organoids has largely evolved over the past decade,their full potential as a pre-clinical tool to study novel therapeutic approaches to halt or reduce inflammation-mediated neurodegeneration still needs to be explored and validated.
文摘We examined the case report written by Ke et al,describing a rare clinical case.In this editorial,we would like to emphasize the differential diagnosis of rectal masses through a rare case.We describe a case of ameboma,which manifested itself as a mass in the rectum in terms of imaging and rectoscopic features,in an immunocompetent patient who had complaints of constipation and rectal bleeding for weeks.The initial diagnosis suggested malignancy due to imaging and rectoscopic features,but the pathology report reported it as amoebiasis.After ten days of metronidazole and oral amebicide(diloxanide furoate)treatment,the patient’s symptoms and radiological findings were successfully regressed.
文摘Human herpesvirus 6(HHV-6)is a common childhood infection but rarely causes severe complications.In immunocompetent children,conditions such as febrile convulsions and roseola infantum are typical,with occasional severe manifestations like meningoencephalitis and myocarditis.
文摘Habitat alterations in agroecosystems may damage amphibian immune capacity. As agroecosystem extension is increasing worldwide, broader-context knowledge on the effects of agroecosystem stressful conditions on amphibian immune capacity is crucial for understanding and management of amphibian global declines. However, most studies on ecoimmunology assume synchronal amonggroup immune-response peaks, and focus on immune response after standardized time lapses, neglecting its progress!on. Herein, I compared inflamatory response short-term progression of agro ecosystem and n atural-habitat female and male n atterjack toads Epi da lea calamita, by measuri ng swelling response, once per hour, 6 h following an artificial immune challenge with innocuous antigen phytohemagglutinin. I also compared maximum magnitude of swelling response, irrespective of the moment when it was reached. Habitat differences arose only 3 h after challenge, when naturalhabitat toads showed greater swelling response. Maximum magnitude of swelling response was similar in toads from both habitats. However, agroecosystem toads showed a delayed swelling response as compared with natural-habitat conspecifics, probably as a consequenee of agroecosystem stressful conditions. Such a delay suggests a weaker immune capacity, and consequently impaired anti-pathogen performance. Regarding sex, swelling response magnitude did not differ between males and females. Female swelling response peaked earlier, but that of males was more sustai ned in time, which con tradicts general across-taxa fin dings that males show impaired immune response. Interestingly, results suggest that measuring swelling response only after some standardized period following stimulation may be a simplistic approach and produce unrealistic results. Consequently, studies on ecoimmunology should implement swelling response progression in order to produce unbiased science.
文摘Aim To study the distribution pattern, antineoplastic activity and immunocompetence of a novel organoselenium compound Eb and investigate its in vivo antineoplastic potential. Methods Eb was administered to Kunming mice (dosage, 0.1 g·kg^(-1)·d^(-1)) intragastrically for 7 successive days. The contents of selenium in heart, liver, spleen, kidneys, lungs, stomach, brain, muscle, and bone were determined by fluorometric method on the eighth day. MTT assay was used to study tumor growth inhibition of Eb in vitro, and lymphocyte transformation, hemolysin formation and phagocytosis assay were used to study its immunocompetence. Results After 7 days′ administration of Eb, the tissue contents of sele-(nium) in liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, and bone of mice increased, especially those in liver and spleen increased significan-tly, compared with controls; but no significant changes of such contents were found in muscle, heart, brain, and stomach. Eb demonstrated inhibitory effects on human Bel-7402, BGC-823, and Calu-3 cancer cell lines in vitro. Eb also showed ability to enhance lymphocyte transformation and serum hemolysin formation in vitro and increase the phagocytosis of macrophages. Conclusion The validated antitumor and immunostimulatory activities of Eb suggest a hypothesis that Eb may behave as a biological response modifier when used as an antitumor agent. Eb is worthy of further study in developing a new antineoplastic and immunity enhancing agent in the light of its antitumor activity, immunocompetence and specific distribution in liver, lungs, kidneys, bone, and spleen.
文摘AIM: To determine whether normal genetically immunocompetent rodent hosts could be manipulated to accept human hepatocyte transplants with long term survival without immunosuppression. METHODS: Tolerance towards human hepatocytes was established by injection of primary human hepatocytes or Huh7 human hepatoma cells into the peritoneal cavities of fetal rats. Corresponding cells were subsequently transplanted into newborn rats via intrasplenic injection within 24h after birth. RESULTS: Mixed lymphocyte assays showed that spleen cells from non-tolerized rats were stimulated to proliferate when exposed to human hepatocytes, while cells from tolerized rats were not. Injections made between 15 d and 17 d of gestation produced optimal tolerization. Transplanted human hepatocytes in rat livers were visualized by immunohistochemical staining of human albumin. By dot blotting of genomic DNA in livers of tolerized rats 16 weeks after hepatocyte transplantation, it was found that approximately 2.5 X 10(5) human hepatocytes survived per rat liver. Human albumin mRNA was detected in rat livers by RT-PCR for 15 wk, and human albumin protein was also detectable in rat serum. CONCLUSION: Tolerization of an immuno-competent rat can permit transplantation, and survival of functional human hepatocytes.
基金funded by the research program on municipal effluents of Environment Canada
文摘Municipal wastewaters are major sources of pollution for the aquatic biota. The purpose of this study was to determine the levels of some pharmaceutical products and the immunotoxic potential of a municipal wastewater aeration lagoon for the treatment of the domestic wastewaters of a small town with wastewater inputs from a 400-bed hospital complex. Endemic mussels were collected, caged and placed in the final aeration lagoon and at sites 1 km upstream and 1 km downstream of the effluent outfall in the receiving river for a period of 14 days. The results showed that the final aeration lagoon contained high levels of total coliforms, conductivity and low dissolved oxygen （2.9 mg/L） as well as detectable amounts of trimethoprim, carbamazepine, gemfibrozil, and norfloxacin at concentrations exceeding 50 ng/L. The lagoon effluent was indeed toxic to the mussel specimens, as evidenced by the appearance of mortality after 14 days （10% mortality）, decreased mussel weight-to-shell-length ratio and loss of hemocyte viability. The number of adhering hemocytes, phagocytic activity, total nitrite levels and arachidonic cyclooxygenase activity were significantly higher in mussels placed in the final aeration lagoon. A multivariate analysis also revealed that water pH, conductivity, total coliforms and dissolved oxygen were the endpoints most closely linked with phagocytic activity, the amount of adhering hemocytes and loss of hemocyte viability. In conclusion, exposure of mussels to treated aerated lagoon wastewater is deleterious to freshwater mussels where the immune system is compromised.
文摘In order to investigate the immunoactivity of Lycium Barbarum glycopeptide (LBG), the routinely prepared murine splenic lymphocyte suspension was separately added into the samples with different concentrations (500, 100, 10, 1 μg/ml) of LBG as LBG groups. Blank control group in the absence of Lycium Barbarum glycopeptide or ConA and positive control group in the presence of 0.5 ml ConA but in the absence of LBG were created. 0.5 ml LBG samples with different concentrations in combination with 0.5 ml ConA (10 μg/ml) into each well to observe the synergic effects of LBG and ConA as LBG+ConA groups. After incubation for 72 h at 37 ℃, the samples were analyzed by CFSE-labeled cells combined with flow cytometry, and MTT. Flow cytometry revealed that both LBG could enhance the murine splenic lymphocyte proliferative reaction. Combined use of LBG and ConA had synergic effects. MTT demonstrated that sample A could obviously promote the murine splenic lymphocyte proliferative reaction as compared with control group (P<0.01), while sample B could also enhance the lymphocyte proliferation at a high dose. In combination with ConA, sample A had synergic effects at high dose, while sample B showed obviously synergic effects (P<0.05). It was concluded that both samples (A and B) had strong immunocompetence.
基金Supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) of China (No. 2008AA09Z409)
文摘Information regarding immunocompetence of the adaptive immune system （AIS） in zebrafish Danio rerio remains limited. Here, we stimulated an immune response in fish embryos, larvae and adults using lipopolysaccharide （LPS） and measured the upregulation of a number of AIS-related genes （Rag2, AID, TCRAC, IgLC-1, mIg, slg, IgZ and DAB） 3 and 18 h later. We found that all of the genes evaluated were strongly induced following LPS stimulation, with most of them responding at 8 d post fertilization. This confirms that a functional adaptive immune response is present in D. rerio larvae, and provides a window for further functional analyses.
基金Supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China(No.30901906)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No. 20080440743)
文摘OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of Fuzhengpaidu granule (FZPDG) on immune activation molecules CD38 and human leukocyte antigen-D related (HLA-DR) on CD4+ and CD8+ cells in HIV/AIDS patients, and to explore the underlying mechanism of this therapy. METHODS: Plasma changes in CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD3+CD4+CD38+, CD3+CD4+HLA-DR+, CD3+ CD8+CD38+, and CD3+CD8+HLA-DR+levels in HIV/ AIDS patients treated with FZPDG for six months were examined by flow cytometry and compared with levels in healthy controls. RESULTS: The clinical trial included 34 outpatients with HIV/AIDS. Before treatment, plasma levels of CD38+ and HLA-DR+ on CD4/CD8 cells were higherthan those in 28 health controls (P<0.05). There were no significant changes in serum levels of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells between pretreatment baseline versus after treatment, which were 82.85% ± 5.41% , 14.57% ± 10.31% and 54.55% ± 11.43% before treatment and 79.15% ± 8.21% , 19.96% ± 9.58% and 56.36% ± 11.67% after treatment, respectively (P>0.05). Plasma levels of CD3+ CD4+CD38+and CD3+CD4+HLA-DR+were 2.3%± 2.2% and 7.8%±5.5% before treatment and 1.2%± 0.8% and 2.6%±1.0% after treatment, respectively. Plasma levels of CD3+CD8+CD38+ and CD3+CD8+ HLA-DR+ were 41.4%±13.4% and 17.8%±11.3% beforetreatment,whichchangedto27.1%±10.2%and 3.8%±2.4%aftertreatment,respectively(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: HIV/AIDS patients exhibited an immune activation profile following FZPDG treatment. A potential mechanism of action for FZPDG appears to lie in its ability to up-regulate CD38 and HLA-DR levels on CD4+ T cells, and down-regulate them on CD8+ cells, thereby modulating immune activation of CD4+and CD8+T cells.
文摘The effect that climatic changes can exert on parasitic interactions represents a multifactor problem whose results are difficult to predict. The actual impact of changes will depend on their magnitude and the physiological tolerance of affected organisms. When the change is considered extreme （i.e. unusual weather events that are at the extremes of the historical distribution for a given area）, the probability of an alteration in an organisms＇ homeostasis increases dramatically. However, factors determining the altered dynamics of host-parasite interactions due to an extreme change are the same as those acting in response to changes of lower magnitude. Only a deep knowledge of these factors will help to produce more accurate predictive models for the effects of extreme changes on parasitic interactions. Extreme environmental conditions may affect pathogens directly when they include free-living stages in their life-cycles and indirectly through reduced resource availability for hosts and thus reduced ability to produce efficient anti-parasite defenses, or by effects on host density affecting transmission dynamics of diseases or the frequency of intraspecific contact. What are the consequences for host-parasite interactions？ Here we summarize the present knowledge on three principal factors in determining host-parasite associations; biodiversity, population density and immunocompetence In addition, we analyzed examples of the effects of environmental alteration of anthropogenic origin on parasitic systems because the effects are analogous to that exerted by an extreme climatic change [Current Zoology 57 （3）： 390405, 2011].
基金funded by Environment Canada's St. Lawrence Action Plan
文摘The purpose of this study was to examine the cumulative effects of exposure to a pathogenic bacteria and municipal effluent in the freshwater mussel Elliptio complanata. Mussels were exposed to increasing concentrations of an ozone-treated effluent at 15°C for 7 days. A sub-group of mussels was inoculated with Vibrio anguillarum and exposed to the same conditions as above.After the exposure period, mussels were collected to assess hemocyte count and viability,immunocompetence（phagocytosis and nitrite production）, oxidative stress/inflammation（cyclooxygenase and lipid peroxidation） and oxygen radical/xenobiotic scavenging activity（metallothioniens, glutathione S-transferase）. The results showed that mussels exposed to municipal effluent had increased hemocyte counts, phagocytosis, nitrites, lipid peroxidation and metallothioneins. In the inoculated mussels, the same responses were observed, in addition to cyclooxygenase and glutathione S-transferase activities. Multivariate analyses revealed that（1）the response pattern changed with effluent concentration, where increased responses observed at low effluent concentrations（〉10%, V/V） were attenuated at higher effluent concentrations,（2）the effluent produced more pronounced changes in lipid peroxidation, metallothionein and hemocyte viability, and（3） the simultaneous presence of V. anguillarum led to more important changes in hemocyte count and viability and nitrite levels. In conclusion, the presence of V.anguillarum could alter the response of mussels to municipal effluent, which could lead to increased inflammation in mussels.
文摘Androgen-dependent male sexual traits （STs） as well as immunocompetence are theoreticallyassumed to be key indicators of a male＇s quality for the mate-choosing female. We studied matechoice by sexually motivated （SM） females of Campbell＇s dwarf hamsters. Females chose between2 tethered male siblings that differed in expression of STs. Males were unrelated to the female andable to contact and copulate with her. In both males, we measured sex-related morphology ofbody mass, mid-ventral specific skin gland, ano-genital distance, and external testicular diameter.We also estimated levels of blood testosterone and cortisol, specific T- and B-cell immune re-sponses to antigens, as well as aggressive and sexual dominance in sibling males through add-itional encounter experiments with another SM female （male sibs could freely compete for thefemale）. We found that SM females chose a partner among 2 male sibs and spent over 80% of theirtime on average with the preferred male compared with the non-preferred one. Her choice was notassociated with the first visit of the chosen male, with a higher expression of sex-related traits,higher levels of blood testosterone, or with aggressive dominance. The choice was not associatedwith the intensity of T-cell immune response to phitohemagglutinin （PHA）. Instead there was a ten-dency for a negative relationship with the expression of STs and B-cell response to the antigenchallenge. The only character that unambiguously influenced female choice was the non-aggressive male to female grooming during sexual contact. There was no difference in breedingsuccess between preferred and non-preferred males paired with virgin females.
文摘Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis(MAP),originally called Johne’s bacillus was firstdescribed from Germany in 1895 as the cause of achronic inflammatory disease of the intestine in acow.As the 20th century progressed,clinical andsub-clinical MAP infection in farm animals inWestern Europe appeared to become moreprevalent.Among the early reviews available
